Consumers' Federation of Australia

22 November , 2022

WA consumer laws now synchronised with national changes

National changes to consumer laws will be more easily and more quickly reflected in state laws with a new mechanism now being adopted. WA consumers and businesses will benefit greatly from the amendments to the Fair Trading Act that bring the state’s Australian Consumer Law (ACL) in line with its federal equivalent, offering a consistent…

21 November , 2022

ACCC warns consumers about potentially deadly solar batteries

The ACCC will be directly contacting almost 5,000 households that are likely to have energy solar systems with dangerous LG solar batteries in the coming weeks, to continue efforts to raise awareness about safety recalls. The batteries, which may be branded LG, SolaX, Opal, Redback, Red Earth, Eguana, and VARTA, can overheat and catch fire,…

21 November , 2022

ACCC Product Safety Priorities Survey 2023-24

Each year, the ACCC identifies Product Safety Priorities to minimise and raise awareness of the risks posed by unsafe consumer goods. The priorities are key areas of focus that are set annually in addition to our core functions. This year we are interested in your views on the work we are conducting under our current…

19 November , 2022

Consumer experiences sought for a new inquiry into guarantees

The Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC) wants to hear from people about their experiences acting as a guarantor for a loan, to check whether banks have improved their practices since a BCCC inquiry last year found serious failures. The BCCC monitors banks’ compliance with the Banking Code of Practice, which includes obligations to ensure people…

17 November , 2022

Public consultation – Regulation of medical practitioners who provide cosmetic medical and surgical procedures

The Medical Board of Australia (the Board) is now consulting on three documents relating to regulation of medical practitioners who provide cosmetic surgery. The documents are in response to recommendations in the Independent review of the regulation of medical practitioners who perform cosmetic surgery. Draft Registration standard: Endorsement of registration for cosmetic surgery for registered…

17 November , 2022

Australians send 300,000 complaints to AFCA in 4 years

Australians took more than 300,000 disputes to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) in its first four years, with consumers securing nearly $900 million in compensation and refunds. AFCA also identified and reported 227 definite systemic issues and serious contraventions of the law to federal regulators, resulting in an additional $280 million in refunds to…

11 November , 2022

ACCC calls for new competition and consumer laws for digital platforms

The ACCC has recommended a range of new measures to address harms from digital platforms to Australian consumers, small businesses and competition. The fifth report of the ACCC’s five-year Digital Platform Services Inquiry has proposed that platforms be subject to mandatory dispute resolution processes and stronger requirements for combating scams, harmful apps and fake reviews,…

11 November , 2022

Consumers International call for action at COP27

Consumers International will join with Heads of State, ministers and activists in Egypt for the largest annual gathering on climate action. COP27 takes place against the backdrop of the energy and food crises, extreme weather events and record greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, COP27 is calling for adaptation and finance to low and middle-income countries and…

10 November , 2022

Westjustice & Scope Launch Easy English Scams Guide

This ‘Scams Awareness Week’, Westjustice and Scope are excited to launch this Easy English guide on avoiding scams. You can find the guide here. ‘Easy English’ or accessible written information is a simple and concise style of writing and images to explain certain concepts. Easy English can help everyone, including people with intellectual disabilities, people…

9 November , 2022

Business integrity and legal requirements in the Assistive Technology sector: industry statement

Assistive Technology (AT) users should expect to be able to make informed decisions based on the highest standards of assistive technology provision to meet their AT goals and needs. Industry groups have put out a joint statement to encourage AT product suppliers and advisory service providers to work collaboratively with the user of AT to…

8 November , 2022

ASIC’s top-10 ways to spot a crypto scam

In support of Scams Awareness Week, ASIC is warning consumers of the key signs of a crypto scam and advising what to do if you’ve been scammed. Crypto scams fall into three broad categories, including: scams where you think you’re investing in a genuine asset but it’s a fake crypto exchange, website or app; fake…

7 November , 2022

Consumer representatives sought for travel complaints appeals committee

ATAS Complaint Appeal Committee (ACAC) The ACAC is an independent review body specifically established under the Australian Travel Accreditation Scheme (ATAS) to review and determine customer complaints and allegations of non-compliance with the ATAS Charter and Code. The ACAC reviews complaints elevated to it by the Compliance Manager and can issue binding decisions, including sanctions…